Hospitals are failing underage drinkers by not giving them enough help to tackle their problems, the NHS is warned in a new report.

Too many accident and emergency units simply help teenagers sober up and send them home without trying to change their behaviour, according to the charity Alcohol Concern.

An estimated 64,750 children as young as 11 attend hospital in England every year, of whom 36 a day are admitted for treatment, at a cost to the NHS of £19m. Denis Campbell Some have been found unconscious, many have been attacked or had an accident, and others have self-harmed after drinking.

Responses by 128 A&E units to Freedom of Information Act requests from Alcohol Concern show that many offer little or no specialist support to teenagers who have come to harm due to drink. "We have found failings in the NHS's system [for dealing with such patients]," said Tom Smith, the group's youth alcohol spokesman.

While 52% can refer young people to a specialist substance misuse service for under-18s, the other 48% cannot, which means "health staff are unable to direct young people in crisis to treatment, support or advice", the report says.

Although the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that NHS staff should refer young drinkers to such services, the report says that "too often A&E departments are failing to protect the welfare of vulnerable young people by not developing this measure".

Almost three-quarters (73%) do not have an alcohol harm reduction strategy in place, while 76% do not employ someone specifically to tackle underage drinking. "Overall, only 12 departments (9%) appear to have in place comprehensive alcohol harm reduction interventions. This figure shrinks to only eight departments offering the same interventions to patients aged under 16 years", it concludes, describing the NHS's abaility to offer such help as "patchy".

Nigel Edwards, acting chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, admitted more action was needed. "The amount of alcohol we consume is a society wide issue and the NHS can only be a sticking plaster for much more long term and ultimately more effective prevention measures.

"Getting the response right requires co-ordination across different parts of public services and, Alcohol Concern's report clearly shows that, while some areas already have the necessary strategies and services in place, more needs to be done to make sure excessive drinking in the young does not become a long term, much more insidious, habit.

A Department of Health spokeswoman added: "Alcohol misuse is a major public health issue that teenagers can be especially vulnerable to so we welcome this report that suggests how local A&E services might address acute harms arising from teenage alcohol misuse.

"Of course underage people should not be drinking and the we are working across government with voluntary, private and community sectors on a range of initiatives to prevent alcohol misuse amongst young people."